Future of the Children’s Health Insurance Program: Considerations for States

The expiration of Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding on September 30, 2017 raises four critical issues for states: 1) the timing of reauthorization, and what the level of allotment and duration of any extension will be, 2) whether the 23 percent increase to federal matching funds will continue, 3) whether maintenance of effort (MOE) requirements will continue unchanged, and 4) operational considerations for states, including notices to members and budget planning.

Updates

As federal health reform legislation has stalled, health policy attention turns to the states, which have many tools to reform their health care systems. While 1115 waivers rightly get a lot of attention, because of their ability to reshape state Medicaid programs, the Affordable Care Act’s Section 1332 waivers continue to be a promising avenue for states.

Where people live, work and play -- and the experiences they have, especially growing up -- matters. These social determinants of health (SDOH) include a broad array of social and environmental risk factors such as poverty, housing stability, early childhood education, access to primary care, access to healthy food, incarceration and discrimination. State policy makers are increasingly focused on SDOH because of their important influence on health care outcomes and Medicaid spending.

A major element of the federal legislative proposals to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act is a change to the financing structure for Medicaid. Understanding the effect this funding change will have on Medicaid programs is a critical priority for states. The State Health and Value Strategies program is working to analyze the financing changes from a state perspective.